What’s all the hype?
It’s really just a pedestrian path bordered by 2 narrow streets. One attraction is the market in La Boqueria. A convent used to stand on this site. Now it is a busy market bursting with camera-toting tourists snapping photos of fruits, vegetables, Jamon y Quezos and such stuff in lively colors. There are dining places within the market. Not the most comfortable, if you ask me. But we felt compelled to do this touristy thing so we can strike it off our list of must-do’s and must-experience. For the rather steep price we paid, I would rather eat someplace cleaner. 😒
Fruits. We found many exotic fruits here, including mangoes and pineapples. My niece bought a pack for us to eat as appetizers while waiting for our paella, pulpo ala gallego, boquerones, and patatas bravas. We ate with our bags on our laps, while listening to an altercation 2 tables away. The diners there were complaining about their “cuenta” or bill. So much for “ambience” dining here where floors are as dirty as can be.
Thick with tourists, we easily found tables here. Not as many tourists eat here, I guess. After all, you can have your fill ordering bocadillos while walking along Las Ramblas. This weekend was particularly crowded as even local tourists are here to add numbers. The red, blue and green “hop on, hop off” buses are almost always full. We decided to do the whole route for the red and blue tourist buses rather than hopping off every so often. Besides, not too many sites invited our attention outside of the Gaudi stuff. For sure though, those buses unloaded many tourists here in Las Ramblas. And many stayed till nightfall. The noise in the nearby hotels must be unbearable.
Just like back in Madrid, there were policemen spread around the area. This is a haven for pickpockets and scam artists after all. Am not surprised. Every 3-4 persons I met along the path walking from Catalunya all the way to Licieu needed no intro as tourists given their cameras, belt bags and Barcelona maps. My advice? Be sure you have decided where to go before stepping out of your hotel. Commit the directions on the map to memory. Or take a photo with your phone cam. Checking your cellphone invites less attention than spreading a map in the middle of a street. Remember that they don’t just pick pockets here. They can snatch your bags too. I should know. A friend of mine lost a bag containing cash, passport and travel documents here some 10 years ago. Hard lesson to learn.
